Fire's Revenge
The Bitter Winter of 1780
Fire always loved Amelia.
She played with it as a child; it was her only friend on those long lonely winter nights. Her mother had tried several times to have another child; if not for a son but for company, as her daughter seemed always lonely. But when she had finally conceived again she had died, giving birth to a still born. Soon after that her father was brought back from a hunting trip on the back of a wagon. They said he had frozen to death.
So now this winter Amelia was truly alone. Her grief kept her home, unwilling to step outside in the cold in case her grief willed her to stay there. There were others coming, she had received news some weeks previous that her cousins were to come and stay with her when the weather permitted but there had been nothing but suffocating snow. A sea of ice blocked the door and the windows, and with no one strong enough to shovel it away Amelia was trapped.
Not that Amelia minded in the least. Trapped was how she always seemed to be, even when her parents were alive. She wished for freedom, liberty from the daunting tasks of a woman. What Amelia had wanted most was to fly away and never return. This along with her parent’s death’s made living all the less bearable.
Her sadness was mirrored by the cold that seeped through the sturdily built cabin. She was constantly cleaning up drips that managed to seep through the wood but it at least gave her fresh water and she decided to collect it with the pal that was used to get water from the well.
Soon her grief and sadness began to drive her mad. Everyday she spent in front of the fire, and every night when she was asleep. It comforted her in her times of need and was always there to warm her aching feet. Even after she had ran out of wood the fire still burned. She thought it a miracle at first and thanked God for his kindness. But Amelia soon came to the realization that if God was truly kind, he would have spared her parents and she would have a life of her own to live.
Amelia began to hear voices, whispering to her in her sleep. She once thought they were the ghosts of her lost siblings but then soon stopped caring. It was only when she realized that the voices came from the fire in the hearth that she truly began to listen. Come to us, they said, feels the true fire within.
It went on for quite some time it seemed. Amelia tried to ignore it, the last sane part of her mind telling her she was going mad but it was insistent, always there when she wanted it the most. She looked forward to the company after a while, thankful for any other sign or life in her lone cabin. The ice seemed to be melting some but Amelia did not try opening the door. If anyone wished to get in they could try opening it well enough. For now she was happy to be a lone, but not truly for the flames were there to comfort her.
And then late one night when she first ran out of food, Amelia decided to truly listen. Come to us, it called, feel the true fire within.
She crept toward it with excited uncertainty, towards the very heart of the flame. Her skin began to get very hot and melt like candle wax but she ignored it. Called only by the flame itself the ferocity and the monumental crackling fell away, as did her pain and grief. It offered her freedom from this life, a life of solitude and servitude. In this fire she was free, free to be the person she knew she always was. Liberty was offered and Amelia would have been even madder to ignore it. In that moment she also felt anger. She was angry at the men who had destined her to this life and angry at her mother for allowing it. Amelia was angry at God for having women be so degraded.
With this thought the old Amelia melted and burned away, in its place was a light, a light so bright and burning with anger and revenge.
Amelia’s deep blue eyes were replaced by fiery gold irises that shown unnaturally in the light. Her skin gave way and was replaced with new skin, darker and smoother. Her hair turned bright red and what was known of Amelia before fell away.
Before she stepped out of the fire Amelia had died. In her place was a monster. Fire had found its body and now it began its search for the man who took it away.
She played with it as a child; it was her only friend on those long lonely winter nights. Her mother had tried several times to have another child; if not for a son but for company, as her daughter seemed always lonely. But when she had finally conceived again she had died, giving birth to a still born. Soon after that her father was brought back from a hunting trip on the back of a wagon. They said he had frozen to death.
So now this winter Amelia was truly alone. Her grief kept her home, unwilling to step outside in the cold in case her grief willed her to stay there. There were others coming, she had received news some weeks previous that her cousins were to come and stay with her when the weather permitted but there had been nothing but suffocating snow. A sea of ice blocked the door and the windows, and with no one strong enough to shovel it away Amelia was trapped.
Not that Amelia minded in the least. Trapped was how she always seemed to be, even when her parents were alive. She wished for freedom, liberty from the daunting tasks of a woman. What Amelia had wanted most was to fly away and never return. This along with her parent’s death’s made living all the less bearable.
Her sadness was mirrored by the cold that seeped through the sturdily built cabin. She was constantly cleaning up drips that managed to seep through the wood but it at least gave her fresh water and she decided to collect it with the pal that was used to get water from the well.
Soon her grief and sadness began to drive her mad. Everyday she spent in front of the fire, and every night when she was asleep. It comforted her in her times of need and was always there to warm her aching feet. Even after she had ran out of wood the fire still burned. She thought it a miracle at first and thanked God for his kindness. But Amelia soon came to the realization that if God was truly kind, he would have spared her parents and she would have a life of her own to live.
Amelia began to hear voices, whispering to her in her sleep. She once thought they were the ghosts of her lost siblings but then soon stopped caring. It was only when she realized that the voices came from the fire in the hearth that she truly began to listen. Come to us, they said, feels the true fire within.
It went on for quite some time it seemed. Amelia tried to ignore it, the last sane part of her mind telling her she was going mad but it was insistent, always there when she wanted it the most. She looked forward to the company after a while, thankful for any other sign or life in her lone cabin. The ice seemed to be melting some but Amelia did not try opening the door. If anyone wished to get in they could try opening it well enough. For now she was happy to be a lone, but not truly for the flames were there to comfort her.
And then late one night when she first ran out of food, Amelia decided to truly listen. Come to us, it called, feel the true fire within.
She crept toward it with excited uncertainty, towards the very heart of the flame. Her skin began to get very hot and melt like candle wax but she ignored it. Called only by the flame itself the ferocity and the monumental crackling fell away, as did her pain and grief. It offered her freedom from this life, a life of solitude and servitude. In this fire she was free, free to be the person she knew she always was. Liberty was offered and Amelia would have been even madder to ignore it. In that moment she also felt anger. She was angry at the men who had destined her to this life and angry at her mother for allowing it. Amelia was angry at God for having women be so degraded.
With this thought the old Amelia melted and burned away, in its place was a light, a light so bright and burning with anger and revenge.
Amelia’s deep blue eyes were replaced by fiery gold irises that shown unnaturally in the light. Her skin gave way and was replaced with new skin, darker and smoother. Her hair turned bright red and what was known of Amelia before fell away.
Before she stepped out of the fire Amelia had died. In her place was a monster. Fire had found its body and now it began its search for the man who took it away.